Lev Manovich, expert in new media theory, once wrote that “new media technology acts as the most perfect realization of the utopia of an ideal society composed of unique individuals” (Manovich). White Space aims to extend that idea to the word processor. Over the years since its origin in the 1960s there have been innumerable features that have come and gone from word processing, many of which have been lost over time due to either non-use, user preference, or simply because of new technology. With White Space, the user can bring them all back, or keep them all gone. In recent years there has been a trend towards spartan, disconnected devices that allow for keys to make letters appear on a screen and nothing else, White Space will afford the user the ability to turn their own computer into such a device as well. Through an initial setup that requires the user to select or deselect a number of features, anything from spell-check to condition-based internet connection, White Space will be fully programmable in an extremely user friendly and intuitive manner.
Not only will users be able to essentially custom design a word processor of their own, but they will be able to save any number of these presets for use on a range of documents or projects; document specific presets and configurations will also be available for those that would rather not set up their own. To bring this image to life, the software may appear in a variety of different manners, again depending on user preference; anything from a spare white screen with black text or white text on a black screen, to text editor formatting, to a traditional wordesque look, White Space aims to accommodate any and all users of word processors, even the notoriously stubborn George R.R. Martin. Numerous fonts will also be available, and downloading new ones from the internet will be made as simple as possible by integrating online databases of fonts into the system’s user interface. With the ability to redesign the way the toolbars and features work and look, White Space will be able to serve as a way to recreate word processors of the past while at the same time allowing for new user-generated creations to take hold. In regards to internet connectivity, one of White Space’s unique features is the ability for the user to allow the program to control the computer’s online access. For writers who wish to remain distraction-free but need to write on their computers, White Space will have the ability to restrict internet access unless certain conditions are met. These conditions may range from needing to reach a specific word or page count to password protection (theoretically generated by someone else, a friend perhaps).
As Matthew Kirschenbaum explains in the opening paragraph of his upcoming work Track Changes, a book dedicated to the word processor, there are already a number of word processors on the market, however I believe that White Space’s elegant design and ability to cater to both casual and deep users will make it popular among a very wide range of demographics. Not only will users be able to to have their word processor look and act the way they want it to, but White Space will play nicely with other existing software including cloud-based systems. This means that anyone who currently uses Pages, for example, will be able to easily convert all of their documents into White Space documents, and anyone who has White Space as their default word processor will be able to automatically open any document sent to them, no matter the format. In this way White Space is universal in both user interface and in the realm of document sharing.
If an ad campaign for white space were to be launched it would revolve around the overall simplicity of the software while at the same time conveying to consumers the wide range of customizable features. The title at the top of the first page would be more or less what the add consisted of, with the right side a black background with white text. The letters themselves, however, would be made up of interconnecting designs and formatting icons, speaking to the underlaying complexity of the program. Other ads might also feature the two-tone layout, however rather than the patterns existing within the letters, the white half would be filled with black designs and symbols around the text while the black side simply displayed the white text, or vice versa. The initial word, “w i t e” also allows for intentional misinterpretation in that it may be read as both “white”, speaking towards the programs default layout and overall simplicity, or “write” an equally descriptive word. On this note, great efforts would be made to have a strong online presence in both ads and in google searches. I understand the risk involved with having a name that may be easily misread, and therefore searches for “white space”, “write space”, and “wite spce” would lead to the website. Thinking past the initial launch, the program would be kept in order as bugs are discovered via online patches and updates. A user help line, or online chatroom connecting users with those who understand the software deeply would allow for streamlined and efficient trouble-shooting. Lastly, in addition to these updates, new suites of features or crafty user-generated preset combinations would become available as they came to the surface.
At the same time the PC, Mac, and Linux versions of the program go live, there will be an accompanying app on both iOS and Android dubbed White Space Mobile. Download codes would be included for any who purchased the parent program, and others would be able to buy the mobile version on its own. The app will also support the same simple programmability as the the parent version, but with features catering towards hand-held devices. The key aspect of this mobile version will be the option to have an extremely fast start-up, putting the user directly into a new document, enabling them to get ideas down as quickly as possible, no matter the situation. Ideally, iPhone users will be able to affix Word Space Mobile to the lock screen along side or replacing the camera function, thereby getting them into a document with one swipe without ever even entering the home screen, though if the user has a passcode on their phone they would remain locked out of the rest of their documents until they input their device’s code for safety purposes. The app will likewise have the ability to disconnect the device entirely from the grid, blocking phone calls, alarms, text messages, or any number of other distractions one might encounter, all at the user’s discretion.
White Space Mobile is a perfect example of the idea at the core of what White Space does: it facilitates writing in as many ways as possible. By removing any friction a normal word processor might create during the writing process the product allows the user to focus on creating alone. This principle is reflected in the design of both products, as each of them aim to get as many words on the page as possible in a shortest, most natural amount of time.
Though White Space would undoubtedly be an online download, available via a website, there would naturally be physical and environmental impacts of its creation. As Jussi Parikka writes in his article entitled “The Geology of Media”, it is a “fallacy that media is increasingly immaterial, wireless, and smoothly clouded by data services” and in regard to this need for sustainability-focused software products, any discs, packaging, or transportation of materials would have an inherent effect on the environment. In balancing this impact, White Space would be developed using as much renewable energy as possible, and any internal waste created would be disposed of in an environmentally sound way. When searching for a company to mass produce physical copies, (if needed) I would endeavor to find the most earth-friendly and ethical company possible.
In summation, White Space is simply something I have always wanted. I myself am easily distracted and appreciate the simplicity some word processors present, but buying a machine simply to run a word processor is extremely inconvenient as well as cost prohibitive, and many other word processors either lack features I want or have features I don’t and can’t turn off. After asking around I know I am not the only one who is dissatisfied. Being able to force oneself to write, regardless of the quality of the writing is always important in getting started; once the ball is rolling, writing only becomes easier, and that’s what White Space will do, make writing and sharing easier than ever.
W r k s C i t d :
Hayles, Katherine. How We Think: Digital Media and Contemporary Technogenesis. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2012. Print.
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2001. Print.
Parikka, Jussi. “The Geology of Media.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.